Awesome!! Thanks for all the info!! One thing though, I thought the '-2' designation was more of an electrical thing than a horsepower thing. ?? By the way, got any pics of these units to post here?
Sorry, I don't have any pics, but here are some links to pics: SP 7540 SD45-2 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=151646 SP 7541 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=26106 SP 7542 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=388183 SP 7544 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=90078 SP 7546 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=475709 SP 7547 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=339488 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=103281 SP 7550 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=94060 SP 7552 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=585699 SP 7554 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=248287 SP 7555 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=313405 SP 7560 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=90265 SP 6319 GP 35 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=91495 SP 1541 SD9 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=246529 SP 4316 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=94063 SP 1515 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=248803 SP 4361 SD9 rebuilt to SD19 by MRL http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=746920 This is just a guess, but did the "R" rebuild upgrade the electronics? And then the governor raised the horsepower....ending up with the upgraded electronics and the 3600 HP needed to become a -2? Notice the locations on some of these pictures.....For a regional railroad, some of these units really get around! On a slightly different note, I came across a few more SP SD9's on the I&M Rail Link: SP 4353,4384,4306,4362,4391,4373,4353
Man they look good in the Black and Blue! My favorite two colors! I went through my collection and actually shot one of these in Bakersfield,CA. Cool! IIRC, the GRIP program is what turned these into 'R's. I believe much of the work was on the electrical too. Perhaps they came out equivelent to a '-2', just SP or SP fans didn't refer to them as '-2'. Definately food for thought. Thanks for the tip on the I&M Rail Link units too. Perhaps someone will post some pics for the rest of us. (hint to all you out there )
I don't think SP called these Dash 2s, but MRL clearly has different standards for classifying rebuilds. That's why rebuilds tend to be so confusing: they usually use railroad, not manufacturer, designations. Also, different rebuild companies use different terms for functionally equivalent locomotives.
Very true.....here's a pic of SP4361 (now MRL 652) next to MRL 651 Both are designated SD19-1's by MRL. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=555441 Almost nothing is the same, but they have the same designation. Both started out as SD9's
In some SP company documents, they were called SD45-2s; same goes for the Sacramento-rebuilt 7300-series SD40Rs, which were also classed "SD40-2" in SP Employee Time Tables and Data books I have. Makes sense, since mechanically, that's what they were.
The 7400-7500 series SD45Rs only went through one "M99" (GRIP II) rebuild, starting in 1979; SP 7400 was outshopped in 12/79 as a prototype for the program, which then resumed in September 1981 with SP 7401. The SD45 rebuild effort wrapped up in March 1986 with SP 7566. All were upgraded to Dash-2 electrical standards (among other things), and as far as HP goes, it varied. IIRC, some units were outshopped with 3200hp governors in an effort to save fuel and wear and tear on the prime mover, but as units went through routine shoppings, sometimes the original governor had to be replaced with whatever was handy at the shop, and got "original" 3600hp ones instead.
John.....My clicking and pasting finger is worn out tonight:teeth: But the site I was pulling the MRL photos from has some I&M rail link photos too. Go to this site: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/ And do a search under railroads , then regional. Once the railroad comes up it lists all the road #'s available, and also shows what model the photo is of and where the engine came from (ex SP, Ex C&NW, ect.), also the # of pictures.....there were a lot more photos of the MRL engines also, a lot of them were more "action" shots. I picked ones that showed the engines best. There's also a big (1500 photo) SP archive. It's actually a pretty good site if you've never been there. Has some rolling stock also.
Good catch in NV Steve! Here's a recent addtion from my site. Caltrain MP15DC #503. Not sure I've got the history quite right but believe this is ex SP #2690. Another recent addition is Modesto & Empire Traction #1500. Ex Cotton Belt #2491.
Hi John and all others; I don't have a camera, but at http://sptco.proboards107.com they have a lot of SP locomotives pictured.
Got lucky last week and caught this unpatched SP SD40M-2 at Long Beach Dolores: http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=63796
SP SD9E #4409 & SSW GP40-2 #7632 I recently caught these two units at Chemurgic,CA. This is the home of the Turlock Western RR in Turlock,CA. The units are now part of the Monson & Bruggere collection (BUGX reporting marks).
Finally got back to Oregon! Heres my shot of Albany & Eastern #3859: Also caught Oregon Pacific #1010: and ex SW8 Lewis & Clark #83, ex SP #1123, nee SP #4618. She is now scrap at Chelatchie,WA on the Battle Ground, Yacolt & Chelatchie Prarie RR:
John - Enjoying all your photos. I would like to add mine, but can not see how to do it!!! Can you help? thanks, SP Phil
This one is still at Portola and running. This one is in San Diego getting restored to operation and original SP paint and number. Greg
